April 15, 2005
HEADING EAST: Butler takes its last excursion from Great Western Lacrosse League play Sunday, traveling to Princeton for a 1 p.m. face-off. The Bulldogs enter the contest with a 4-4 record, while the Tigers sport an uncharacteristic mark of 1-6. The game is the first of three straight on the road for the Bulldogs. Princeton, which also plays Saturday, is offering a live audio broadcast. A link can be found on both www.butlersports.com and www.goprincetontigers.com.
LAST TIME OUT: Freshman Grant Albertson netted four goals to lead the Butler effort in a physical 13-9 loss to Ohio State Saturday in Great Western Lacrosse League action at the Butler Bowl in Indianapolis. The Buckeyes used the first four goals of the second half to take an 11-4 lead, which proved to be too much as a late Butler rally fell short.
THROWN INTO THE FIRE: Butler's top four scorers this season are all newcomers. Rookie Grant Albertson leads the team with 16 goals and 21 points. He is followed by freshmen Cliff Smith (19 points), Nick Vosburgh (17) and Jason Donati (16).
A LOOK AT THE TIGERS: Princeton, which has won six national championships, is off to a surprising 1-6 start this season. The Tigers are led by Scott Sowanick, who leads the team in both goals (11) and assists (eight). All three of the team's netminders have seen significant time for coach Bill Tierney. The Tigers also play Saturday afternoon against Harvard before hosting Butler.
THE SERIES: Butler and Princeton have never met as men's lacrosse opponents, but the foe isn't totally foreign to Butler coach Stan Ross, who spent one season on the Princeton coaching staff, helping the team to a national championship in 1998.
STAN THE MAN: Head coach Stan Ross is in his first year on the Butler sidelines, arriving in Indianapolis after six seasons as the top assistant at Towson. While at Towson, Ross helped to lead the Tigers to three NCAA Tournament appearances. Ross was also a part of the coaching staff at Princeton when the team won the 1998 national championship. He is the third coach in Butler lacrosse history. Ross was a stand-out midfielder at Loyola (Md.) College and graduated in 1996.
UP NEXT: The Bulldogs set out for Colorado for GWLL contests against Air Force (April 22) and Denver (April 24) before the Bulldogs return home to face league foe Fairfield in the season finale April 29.
NEED MORE INFO?: Up-to-date statistics, recaps and an online version of the 2005 Butler Lacrosse Media Guide can be found on www.butlersports.com.